Attention is currently focused on technologies for applying nanoscale luminescent materials called quantum dots to displays. Quantum dots are types of semiconductor materials, only several nanometers in size, constituted by groups of elements such as the II-VI group, the III-V group, and the IV-VI group. When seen as luminescent materials, quantum dots are similar in property to conventional organic electroluminescence materials in that they emit light if they are irradiated with rays of energy (ultraviolet light, blue light) or electric fields are applied to them.
It is known that whereas organic electroluminescence materials have their emission wavelengths controlled by combinations of host materials and guest materials, quantum dots have emission wavelengths that vary according to the material and the dots' size. Expectations are placed on quantum dots because of their advantages of being higher in light emission efficiency than organic electroluminescence materials and, furthermore, being free of concentration quenching.
Disclosed as an example of a quantum dot-based display device is a light-emitting element including, on a transparent substrate, a translucent first electrode, a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, and a polycrystalline inorganic light-emitting layer containing quantum dots in an inorganic semiconductor matrix (see PTL 1). Further disclosed is a method for manufacturing a quantum dot organic electroluminescence element, including: forming a first electrode layer on a substrate; forming a quantum dot template film including a plurality of nanometer sized through-holes from a phase-separable block copolymer film on the first electrode layer; and forming, in each of the through-holes in the quantum dot template film, a quantum dot structure including an organic light-emitting layer (see PTL 2).